East Kalimantan church explosion injures 4 children, one suspect arrested

Authorities say a suspect managed to flee the scene and police are hunting for him.

At least four children were injured in an explosion in front of Oikumene church in Samarinda, East Kalimantan on Sunday morning.

The police have arrested a male suspect, wearing a black t-shirt with the words "Jihad", in connection with the explosion. But, another man managed to flee the scene and police are hunting for him.

"Four people were injured and four motorcycles were burnt in the church courtyard, one perpetrator who was wounded has been detained and is undergoing a check-up," Samarinda police chief Setyobudi Dwiputro told local news portal Detik.com.

"The perpetrator is conscious," he added.

According to local media reports, the attackers allegedly threw a "low explosive" bomb as they passed by the church.

Authorities said a bomb diffusion team was sterilising the location from dangerous items and was further examining the explosive.

While investigations are still ongoing, reports suggest that the arrested suspect was a resident of Bogor, West Java but he lived in a neighbourhood mosque in Samarinda.

The suspect, who was identified with the letter "J", appeared to be in his early 20s. He also appeared to have suffered some injury to his face when he was apprehended. However, it was not clear how he had sustained the injuries.

Indonesia has been experiencing a number of attacks this year often with home-made bombs or improvised explosive devices (IED).